How does Bi-polar effect being a mother, what affect does it have on your children? How can you minimize that affect?

Simple question, complicated answer.

My children have to deal with a lot as the children of a bipolar mom. They can't be sure I will be up to playing with them or how long it will take me to get something they need done. Or maybe I'll be so energetic I almost forget about them. I may react irritably to something that didn't bother me the day before. Granted, I try my best to shield my children, but I can not do it all the time.

Before I moved away from my mom, my kids went there when I was having an episode. It was better for the children to be away from me, I hadn't learned to even slightly control my cycling and I wasn't fun to be around while that was going on.

Now I'm about on my own, but I can handle things a little better now. Plus my husband is there to help me with the kids when I need it, but I can no longer send them away for a few hours or a few days if I'm having trouble.

I haven't had a major episode with the kids here, so we will see what happens when that happens.